Books as mentioned on the Baseball Brew Crew Podcast

by David Wells with Chris Kreski

This is a guy who …

– Grew up among Hell’s Angels, taking their Harley Davidson motorcycles for solo joyrides at age eleven …
– Prepares for every outing by blasting Metallica, AC/DC, and Godsmack at eardrum-bursting levels in the Yankees’ locker room …
– Regularly tried to coerce attractive women in the stands into lifting up their shirts from the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen …
– Endured huge, cortisone-loaded hypodermic shots straight into the spine to avoid missing scheduled pitching starts …
– Was the 1998 ALCS MVP and the 2002 ALDS scapegoat …
– Has become legendary for his brawling, beer-drenched, no-holds-barred or punches-pulled lifestyle off the mound …

by Mike Mitchell

In the history of the St. Louis Cardinals, one figure towers above all, despite never pitching an inning or taking an at-bat for the team. For decades, the club was defined by his presence – or his absence. From 1876 to 1925, three different National League teams in St. Louis never finished higher than second place. Then everything changed. The St. Louis Cardinals became the league’s most dominant team. Over a twenty-one-season period, from 1926 to 1946, the Cardinals won nine pennants and six World Series titles. Branch Rickey is the biggest reason why.

by Kevin Cook

The dramatic story of a legendary May 1979 slugfest between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies. Full of runs, hits, and subplots, on the cusp of a new era in baseball history.

by Ron Blomberg, Dan Epstein, and Diana Munson

The deeply personal story of a friendship between two teammates, and of a human bond that ultimately transcends the game itself. This illuminating remembrance of Munson is filled with untold stories about his analytical-yet-hard-nosed approach to baseball, as well as his kindness and generosity off the field.

by Ken Harrelson

Anyone who’s tuned in to a White Sox game during the past four decades has heard his calls and catchphrases: “Mercy!” “Rack ’em up!” “He gone!” Ken Harrelson is a man who knows how to talk and is brimming with stories, but even the most dedicated fans haven’t heard them all; many of “Hawk’s” most memorable tales are simply not suitable for television broadcasts.

by Dale Tafoya

In the early 1970s, the Oakland Athletics became only the second team in major-league baseball history to win three consecutive World Series championships. But as the decade came to a close, the A’s were in free fall, having lost 108 games in 1979 while drawing just 307,000 fans.

by Thomas W. Zeiler

Inspired and led by sporting magnate Albert Goodwill Spalding, two teams of baseball players circled the globe for six months in 1888-1889 competing in such faraway destinations as Australia, Sri Lanka, and Egypt. These players, however, represented much more than mere pleasure-seekers. In this lively narrative, Zeiler explores the ways in which the Spalding World Baseball Tour drew on elements of cultural diplomacy to inject American values and power into the international arena.

by Brad Baluk

Is there life after baseball? Starting from this simple question, The Wax Pack ends up with something much bigger and unexpected—a meditation on the loss of innocence and the gift of impermanence, for both Brad Balukjian and the former ballplayers he tracked down.

by Dan Epstein

Dan Epstein scored a cult hit with Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ’70s. Now he returns with a riotous look at the most pivotal season of the decade.

by Dan Epstein

The Major Leagues witnessed more dramatic stories and changes in the ‘70s than in any other era. The American popular culture and counterculture collided head-on with the national pastime, rocking the once-conservative sport to its very foundations. Outspoken players embraced free agency, openly advocated drug use, and even swapped wives.

by Todd Radom

Baseball is our national pastime. Every fan has memories of their team’s incredible victories and anguishing defeats. We remember the home runs, the walk-off wins, and the moments that will last a lifetime. We also remember those things which we wish we could forget: the errors, the mental mistakes . . . and the ugly uniforms.